Dear Press Release Writer,

Nice minimalist press release! You had full contact info and all the details there about when and where the performance will take place – good start! However, it says nothing about who’s in it or who wrote it. In fact, the only name at all included in the press release was someone who said something that, out of context, can absolutely be misread as a criticism, not praise.

Considering that I praised your work last year, it might be helpful if you, say, put your own name in your press release…or even the Sent From address.

~Me

Takeaways:

• Don’t require a click-through to find key details.
  • State who is performing or presenting, and in what capacity.
  • State whose music/play/poetry/choreography/visual art/etc is being presented.
• Be careful with selectively quoting 1-2 words – the shorter the quote, the more likely it can be misread.
• It doesn’t hurt to mention a previous connection/review.